Janice Gardner

Janice Faye Gardner, one of three children of Reuel Y. and Lucy O. (Beguin) Svevad, was born in Omaha, NE on December 3, 1936. Janice graduated from Benson High School in 1955 and then began her secretarial career at the Omaha Metropolitan Utilities District. Janice and Jay Wardrobe were married in Omaha in 1957. They made their home in Omaha and were blessed with two daughters Gina and Jana. Janice left her position with M.U.D. so she could become a full time mom and homemaker. Once the girls were in school, Janice began working as a secretary in the Omaha area and finally as the secretary to the pastor at the First United Methodist Church in Omaha.
Janice and Mark Robert Gardner of Oakland, Iowa were married at Reno, Nevada on August 15, 1979. They made their home on Mark's farm east of Oakland. Janice began work in Atlantic, Iowa as a loan officer and as a real estate agent for Meyer-Gross E.R.A.
Janice loved her family and spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren. She enjoyed gardening and caring for her home. Janice was a member of the Calvary Lutheran Church in Omaha, the Pottawattamie County Republican Women's Association, and served on the board of the Pottawattamie County Republican Committee. Janice was an avid Nebraska football fan.
Janice and Mark had been married for 23 years when Janice died at their home on December 21, 2002. She had attained the age of 66 years and 18 days. Janice was preceded in death by her parents and brother Fred Svevad. She is survived by her husband Mark Gardner of Oakland, IA; daughters Gina Smith and her husband Les of Tucson, AZ and Jana Woods and her husband Tad of Scottsdale, AZ; sister Joyce Harden and her husband Donald of Lake Kiowa, TX; grandchildren Sarah Smith age 11, Blake Smith age 9, and Jacob Smith age 4, all of Tucson and Riley Woods age 5 and Max Woods age 2, both of Scottsdale; nieces and nephews; other relatives and friends.